Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Today is the International Day of Democracy and what better way to celebrate than to announce the second round of the Democracy Video Challenge, a partnership between YouTube, the State Department, and several public and private partners who want you to fill in the blank in this sentence: "Democracy is..."

Last year, over 900 videos were submitted from over 95 countries and the six winners are currently in the United States, touring film studios, the United Nations, and the State Department as part of their two-week, all-expenses-paid trip to the U.S. This morning, they appeared on the Today Show with Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Judith McHale:

The second Democracy Video Challenge starts today, and you can learn more about it on the State Department's YouTube channel. If you're a filmmaker, a democracy advocate, or just someone who has an idea about what democracy means, head over to the State Department's channel and get to work completing the phrase “Democracy is…”

Just like last year, six regional winners will be selected by the public through online voting, and they'll receive an all-expenses paid trip to the United States that includes screenings of their videos in New York, Hollywood and Washington; meetings with film directors, public officials and democracy advocates from non-governmental organizations; and time on film and TV sets.